I have recently come around to supporting women to be able to get an abortion if they choose.

I have always been "pro-life" and while I was in favour of bringing in the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act in 2013 at the time and have always (as long as I have known about it) been in
favour of amending the 8th Amendment I was up until recently always in
favour of Ireland having a more limited abortion regime and not like the
US and UK.

I've come to learn though that making the decision to have an abortion
is a serious decision for (most anyway) women and that if a woman thinks
that she is not mentally strong enough to have a baby that she should
be able to have an abortion if she wants. Only a small minority of
pregnant women would be at real risk of suicide if they follow through
on a pregnancy but a lot of women do not feel mentally strong enough to
go through with pregnancy at times in their lives even if they would not
be at risk of suicide.

I know what the "pro-life" side is like, because I was again "pro-life"
up until recently although I never got involved in any formal
campaigning.

"Abortion on demand" is the term that really gets at "pro-life" people
because (through lack of thinking/thinking enough about the pregnant
woman as opposed to the foetus) they have a tendency or inclination to
think that most/a lot of women are blase about being pregnant and having
an abortion.

Some women may be blase about having an abortion, but most women who
have had an abortion are everyday women who take the decision seriously.

I don't want to get involved hugely in this debate though. What also
helped reorient me on this issue is I believe the extreme hypocrisy of
the vast majority- not all- of pro-life people.

16 Jun 2017

Near FM have had trouble with the Israeli Embassy before so we cannot broadcast interviews according to the BCI (Broadcasting Commission of Ireland) on the occupation and conflict in Palestine unless the opposite side also have equal air time so this interview is not going to be played on Near FM I think. :